Dominus vobiscum, Et cum spiritu tuo.

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Novena for those making the Pilgrimage to Fatima

Novena Prayer: Fatima Pilgrimage

O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Woman clothed with the sun, thou who didst visit Fatima one hundred years ago to make known to all men thy maternal and Immaculate Heart, receive our act of total consecration to thee.

Welcome us into the safe refuge of thy Immaculate Heart as into the ark of salvation prepared by the Holy Ghost for us and for all the children of the Catholic Church in East and West.

Let each one of us find in thy Immaculate Heart this year a sanctuary of ceaseless prayer, a tabernacle of intimacy with the Most Holy Trinity, a hospital for the healing of every infirmity, a harbor of peace in the midst of the confusion that threatens even the bravest and most faithful souls.

Inspire us to take up the rosary that thou so lovest, and to make it during this year the ceaseless prayer of our hearts and the expression of our desire to live and to die consecrated to thy Immaculate Heart.

Turn our hearts to the Lamb who, once immolated upon the altar of the Cross, offers Himself still for our sakes from the altars of the Church and from the tabernacles where He abides hidden, silent, and so often forsaken.

Let this year be for us a great and powerful manifestation of thy compassion for poor sinners and the beginning of the triumph of thy Immaculate Heart in the Church from the rising of the sun to its setting, and indeed in the whole world.

Overcoming every resistance, be it of demons or of men, reveal to all souls the flame of love that burns in thy maternal Heart and the glory of the Father that shines on the face of His Christ, Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy womb. O clement! O loving! O sweet Virgin Mary!

Message of Pope Pius XII to the Marian Congress of Ottawa

June 19, 1947

Beloved Children in Christ Jesus: You have opened a congress which will be memorable in the proud annals of your country. This is not the first time that Canadian skies have been pierced by paeans of praise to honour her whom the King, the King of Kings has wished to honour. More than three centuries ago Mary's sweet name was given to river and lake, to mountain-peak and bay in your land, and devotion to her Most Pure Heart was sanctifying the family hearths. A first settlement might be little more than a few rough cabins along the lower banks of the river, but a chapel was there, dedicated to God to honour the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Other brave spirits came to penetrate farther up the river and their city was to be Mary's own; their battle-cry against the savages of the forest was: Ave Purissima!

But those early champions of Mary's honour to the glory of her Son, for all their adventuresome fervour, could never have imagined the scene that Canada presents today. In the national capital, before most eminent representatives of Church and State, thousands have gathered to make public profession of their faith, Canada's rich heritage from Old France and to re-dedicate to Mary Immaculate the country that they love, with whose future are bound up the happiness and welfare of their children and children's children. With keen joy We feel conscious of Our own presence in your midst in the person of Our Cardinal Legate. Surely Our venerable Brother, the devoted Shepherd of your souls, responded to a holy inspiration, when he planned to commemorate the centenary of the diocese of Ottawa by a Marian Congress, whose sessions and liturgical functions would help you to know better and love more ardently creation's incomparable glory, and whose crowning act would be the consecration of all; town, - city and province - to Mary, the Mother of God.

Mother of God! What an ineffable title! The grace of the divine maternity is the key which opens up to weak, human scrutiny the untold riches of Mary's soul; as it is likewise a challenge commanding for her the utmost reverence of every creature. « She alone by her dignity transcends heaven and earth. None among created beings visible or invisible can compare with her in excellence. She is at once the handmaid and the Mother of God, a Virgin and yet a Mother » (Brev. Rom. Offic. B. V. M. lect. 5).

But when the little maid of Nazareth uttered her fiat to the message of the Angel and the Word was made flesh in her womb, she became not only the Mother of God in the physical order of nature, but also in the supernatural order of grace she became the Mother of all, who through the holy Spirit would be made one under the Headship of her divine Son. The Mother of the Head would be the Mother of the members (cfr. St. Aug. de Sancta Virginit. cap. VI; Migne PL t. 40, c. 399). The Mother of the Vine would be the Mother of the branches.

Our filial love of Mary prompts Us to dwell for a space in prayerful meditation with you, beloved children, on these beautiful truths. But time will not permit Us. You will ponder them in your hearts during these days of extraordinary grace, which are beginning for you. Let the sin-laden soul take courage and know that a Mother's heart filled with mercy is pleading with her divine Son for the needed grace of repentance and forgiveness. Let growing youth of both sexes know that a loving Mother's eyes are always on them. No path or circumstance is hidden from her anxious care. Go forward then with determination, O dear young men and young women; vindicate the glory of your Immaculate Mother. In the face of a vicious world prove that young hearts can still be chaste. And O how much depends on the genuine, active Catholicity of the home!

Rejoice, O most pure One, Mother of God, in the holy desires and resolutions of thy dear children of Canada. They are thine; they wish to cling ever to thy guiding hand. Protect them under the wings of thy affection and mercy. Defend them against the peril that threatens the human family and menaces especially those who wish to be faithful to thy Son and His Church.

As a pledge of these precious blessings, beloved children, and as a token of Our paternal affection, to you, to all who take part in this Congress and who have assisted in its preparation, We impart the Apostolic Benediction.

CONSECRATION OF CANADA AND THE MINISTRY OF THEPRIESTS OF THE SOCIETY OF SAINT PIUS XTO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS ANDTHE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

O Jesus, Who didst ask at Fatima that devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary be established throughout the world, in order to save poor sinners from the fires of hell, behold we come today, the priests of the Society of Saint Pius X, in union with all our faithful people, to renew the consecration of Canada and of our ministry to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Humbly prostrate before Thine altar, we adore Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, and venerate the admirable privilege granted to Thy Holy Mother, by which Her most pure Soul was preserved from original sin, in order to become the refuge of sinners and “the way that will lead them to God”.

O Jesus, Thou hast instructed us through the vision of Saint John Bosco, in which he saw the Church attacked from every side, but saved by the Blessed Sacrament and the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. Thou hast instructed us also through the vision of Sister Lucy, in which she was permitted to contemplate the Blessed Trinity, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and Thy Holy Sacrifice of Calvary, renewed on our altars, the infinite source of grace and mercy. So it is, O Jesus, One and only True God, that in this storm which is shaking the Church and the world, Thou hast given us as the ark of salvation, the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the incomparable treasure of the Blessed Eucharist.

Consequently, in the Presence of the Sacrament of Thy Love, with the utmost confidence of being heard, we consecrate again Canada, our families and the ministry of the priests of the Society of Saint Pius X to Thy Eucharistic Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We beseech Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus and Thee, O Immaculate Heart of Mary, to deign to receive this consecration of our country so that, protected by Thine assistance from the dangers which threaten it and enlightened by the Truths of Thy Wisdom, Canada may become once more a land of predilection, where love of Thy Holy Name and respect for Thy law will reign again, in conformity with the truth of Thy Sovereign Royalty, for which our first missionaries gave their lives.

Accept also this consecration of our families which, with all our heart, we make to Thee so that, forever safe in the burning furnace of Thy Charity, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, and in the refuge of Thy Heart, which is the refuge of all sinners, O Immaculate Heart of Mary, touched by so much mercy and grace, Thy children may live henceforth only for Thee, in Thy Church, and in obedience to Thy commandments, and may thus all, one day, come safely to Heaven to “sing forever Thy glories and Thy blessings”.

Finally, we ask Thee to receive this consecration of our Society of Saint Pius X, established in Canada, so that, faithful to the mission which has been confided to it, it may work with all its strength for the coming of the Kingdom of Christ, the King, and for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in this great land which the Church as placed under the patronage of Saint Joseph and the Canadian Martyrs. Taught by the example of our venerated Founder, Archbishop Lefebvre, we renew today the consecration of our priests, our seminarians, our religious, the members of our third order and all our spiritual family to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

We offer to Thee and we consecrate to Thee, O Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, our goods, our houses, all the Faithful who are confided to us and all the labours of our ministry, asking Thee to keep us ever steadfastly attached to the Catholic Church, our Mother, and to protect us always from error and from sin, so that united forever in the love of Thy divine Hearts, we may give Thee glory and praise Thee with all the angels and saints, throughout all ages of eternity. Amen.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

St Catherine Labouré - Graces Our Lady wants to give to us!

"Well, what are the graces for which we forget to pray?" he (Father Aladel) asked. "And how would you explain things in a sermon if you were in my place?" For a moment Sister Catherine did not reply. Then a soft light crept into her eyes. "Why not put it this way, Father? Tell people to ask the Blessed Virgin for the grace to love God as she did when she was their age."At these words, so simply spoken, a wave of admiration swept through the priest's heart. Here, surely, was a request that only a few people would ever think of making. Yet certainly it covered everything. Indeed, it was nothing short of a perfect act of love. Why, if one offered this little prayer frequently, while being faithful to the duties of one's state in life, there was no reason to be afraid of anything! Not even of sudden death. For a perfect act of love could bring even the most ordinary soul straight to Heaven. - The Miraculous Medal: The Story of Our Lady's Appearances to St. Catherine Labouré by Mary Fabyan Windeatt (Chapter 12: The Graces People Forget to Ask For)The truth which her humble life had so suddenly revealed to them -- that holiness is not so much a matter of long prayers and great sacrifices as it is of giving oneself completely into God's hands for Him to do with as He wills -- had touched their hearts. What did it matter that probably the only work He would ever ask of many of them would be to raise a family, suffer certain pains, perhaps just to earn a living for themselves? They all realised the same thing: that the secret of being a saint was first to give themselves to God completely, just as Sister Catherine had done, then wait in loving confidence for Him to make known His Will.

- The Miraculous Medal: The Story of Our Lady's Appearances to St. Catherine Labouré by Mary Fabyan Windeatt (Chapter 21: Sister Catherine's Last Request)

Monday, March 06, 2017

St. Joseph!

http://olrl.org/books/joseph.shtmlMarch, the month dedicated to St. JosephFeast of St. Joseph - March 20 [this year]J.M.J.

GO TO JOSEPH

"Of old it was said to the needy and suffering people in the kingdom of Egypt: 'Go to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you.' (Gen. 41:55).

"The same is now said by the Sovereign Pontiff to all needy and suffering people in the kingdom of the Church: GO TO JOSEPH . . . .

"What was truly said of the first Joseph, as to his future, and as to his goodness, his chastity, his patience, his wisdom, his influence with the king, his power over the people, and his love for hisbrethren, is verified much more perfectly, even to this day, in the second JOSEPH."-- Herbert Cardinal Vaughan [1832-1903], Archbishop of Westminster

ST. TERESA'S PLEAWords of St. Teresa of Avila

"Would that I could persuade all men to be devoted to this glorious Saint, for I know by long experience what blessings he can obtain for us from God. I have never known anyone who was truly devoted to him and honored him by particular services who did not advance greatly in virtue: for he helps in a special way those souls who commend themselves to him. It is now very many years since I began asking him for something on his feast, and I have always received it. If the petition was in any way amiss, he rectified it for my greater good . . . I ask for the love of God that he who does not believe me will make the trial for himself - then he will find out by experience the great good that results from commending oneself to this glorious Patriarch and in being devoted to him . . ."-Autobiography, VI, 11-12

WORDS OF ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI

"Since we all must die, we should cherish a special devotion to St. Joseph, that he may obtain for us a happy death. All Christians regard him as the advocate of the dying who had honored him duringtheir life, and that for three reasons:

"First, because Jesus Christ loved him not only as a friend, but as a father, and on this account his mediation is far more efficacious than that of any other Saint.

"Second, because St. Joseph has obtained special power against the evil spirits, who tempt us with redoubled vigor at the hour of death.

"Third, the assistance given St. Joseph at his death by Jesus and Mary obtained for him the right to secure a holy and peaceful death for his servants. Hence, if they invoke him at the hour of death hewill not only help them, but he will also obtain for them the assistance of Jesus and Mary."

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PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH(Ad te Beate Joseph -- prayer of Pope Leo XIII)

To thee, O blessed Joseph, do we have recourse in our tribulation, and having implored the help of thy thrice holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also. By that charity wherewith thou wast united to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and by that fatherly affection with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus, we beseech thee and we humbly pray, that thou wouldst look graciously upon the inheritance which Jesus Christ hath purchased by His Blood, and assist us in our needs by thy power and strength. Most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen people of Jesus Christ; keep far from us, most loving father, all blight of error and corruption: mercifully assist us from heaven, most mighty defender, in this our conflict with the powers of darkness; and, even as of old thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from the supreme peril of his life, so now defend God's Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; keep us one and all under thy continual protection, that we may be supported by thine example and thine assistance, may be enabled to lead a holy life, die a happy death and come at last to the possession of everlasting blessedness in heaven. Amen.-- A partial indulgence is attached to this prayer

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CONSECRATION TO ST. JOSEPH

O, my beloved St. Joseph, adopt me as thy child, take care of my salvation, watch over me day and night, preserve me from the occasion of sin, obtain for me purity of soul and body! Through thy intercession with Jesus grant me a spirit of sacrifice, of humility and self-denial, a burning love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and a sweet tender love for Mary, my Mother. St. Joseph, be with me living, be with me dying and obtain for me a favorable judgment from Jesus, my merciful Savior. Amen

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Blessed Christmas

Behold the dear Infant Jesus, and adore Him fervently. Contemplate His poverty, and humility, in imitation of His most holy Mother and of Saint Joseph. Repose near Him as sweetly as you can, He will not fail to love your heart, void as you find it of tenderness and feeling. Nothing will be wanting to you, since you will be in the presence of that holy Infant. Abide there, and learn of Him how meek and humble He is, how simple and amiable. See how lovingly He has written your name in the depth of His Divine Heart, which beats on that couch of straw from the impassioned zeal it has for our advancement, and heaves not one single sigh unto His Father in which you have not a part, nor a single movement of His spirit except for your happiness.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Poverty, humility, degradation, contempt surround the Word made flesh. But from the darkness in which this Word made flesh is enveloped, we understand one thing, we hear a voice, we catch a glimpse of a sublime truth. All this He has done out of love, and He does nothing but invite us to love; He speaks of nothing else but love; He gives nothing but proof of love. (Letters IV, pp. 972 – 973)

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Ich wünsche Euch einen gesegneten und heiligen Advent

Our Expectant Mother Mary this Adventide, eagerly expecting Our Lord

It is indeed very special indeed this Advent, as I contemplate Our Dearest Mother, soon-to-be on donkey-back, making her way to Bethlehem, huge lump and all in front of her - and how arduous the journey (!), in piercing cold and rocky paths, with the donkey going up and done. How must St Joseph have felt, trying to protect Our Dearest Mother and guide her safely so that they could have the census done. And ... How must Our Lady have felt, to know how St Joseph was feeling and the suffering She, too, had to undergo on this journey. In this day and age, no travel is advised for huge pregnant women in their 8th and 9th month, unless absolutely necessary ...

Deo gratias et Mariae (sehr sehr much!!!) It is indeed a very wonderful grace for a mother to be expecting at the time when Our Lady did.

St Gerard Maria Majella, please take care of this child and, together with her Guardian Angel, guide her safely into this world so that she can receive the saving grace from the waters of Baptism.

Thursday, December 08, 2016

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception!

Happy feast of the beautiful Immaculate Conception! The Immaculate who housed Our Lord (the Most Sacred Heart) in her womb (a very precious thought during Advent, especially, Mother Mary walking around and (travelling even to Bethlehem!!) very pregnant with Our Lord!!!).

Prayer of St Maximilian to the Immaculate

Allow me to live, work, suffer, expire and die for you and only for you. Allow me to bring the whole world to you.

Allow me to contribute even more greatly to the greatest exaltation of you.

Allow me to bring you such glory as has never been brought to you.

Allow others to outdistance me in fervency of your exaltation, and me them, so that your glory will grow, in noble competition, deeper and deeper, faster and faster, more powerfully, as He wishes, He, Who so inexpressibly exalted you above all beings.

In only you, incomparably, God became more glorified than in all His saints. For you, God created the world. For you also, God has called me into existence. Whence is this happiness for me?

The 1974 Declaration of Archbishop Lefebvre on 21. Nov. 1974 =)

On November 11, 1974, two apostolic visitors from Rome arrived at the International Seminary of St. Pius X in Econe. During their brief stay, they spoke to the seminarians and professors, maintaining scandalous opinions such as, the ordination of married men will soon be a normal thing, truth changes with the times, and the traditional conception of the Resurrection of our Lord is open to discussion. These remarks prompted Archbishop Lefebvre to write this famous Declaration as a rebuttal to Modernism.

We hold fast, with all our heart and with all our soul, to Catholic Rome, Guardian of the Catholic faith and of the traditions necessary to preserve this faith, to Eternal Rome, Mistress of wisdom and truth.

We refuse, on the other hand, and have always refused to follow the Rome of neo-Modernist and neo-Protestant tendencies which were clearly evident in the Second Vatican Council and, after the Council, in all the reforms which issued from it.

All these reforms, indeed, have contributed and are still contributing to the destruction of the Church, to the ruin of the priesthood, to the abolition of the Sacrifice of the Mass and of the sacraments, to the disappearance of religious life, to a naturalist and Teilhardian teaching in universities, seminaries and catechectics; a teaching derived from Liberalism and Protestantism, many times condemned by the solemn Magisterium of the Church.

No authority, not even the highest in the hierarchy, can force us to abandon or diminish our Catholic faith, so clearly expressed and professed by the Church’s Magisterium for nineteen centuries.

“But though we,” says St. Paul, “or an angel from heaven preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema” (Gal. 1:8).

Is it not this that the Holy Father is repeating to us today? And if we can discern a certain contradiction in his words and deeds, as well as in those of the dicasteries, well we choose what was always taught and we turn a deaf ear to the novelties destroying the Church.

It is impossible to modify profoundly the lex orandi without modifying the lex credendi. To the Novus Ordo Missae correspond a new catechism, a new priesthood, new seminaries, a charismatic Pentecostal Church - all things opposed to orthodoxy and the perennial teaching of the Church.

This Reformation, born of Liberalism and Modernism, is poisoned through and through; it derives from heresy and ends in heresy, even if all its acts are not formally heretical. It is therefore impossible for any conscientious and faithful Catholic to espouse this Reformation or to submit to it in any way whatsoever.

The only attitude of faithfulness to the Church and Catholic doctrine, in view of our salvation, is a categorical refusal to accept this Reformation.

That is why, without any spirit of rebellion, bitterness or resentment, we pursue our work of forming priests, with the timeless Magisterium as our guide. We are persuaded that we can render no greater service to the Holy Catholic Church, to the Sovereign Pontiff and to posterity.

That is why we hold fast to all that has been believed and practiced in the faith, morals, liturgy, teaching of the catechism, formation of the priest and institution of the Church, by the Church of all time; to all these things as codified in those books which saw day before the Modernist influence of the Council. This we shall do until such time that the true light of Tradition dissipates the darkness obscuring the sky of Eternal Rome.

By doing this, with the grace of God and the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and that of St. Joseph and St. Pius X, we are assured of remaining faithful to the Roman Catholic Church and to all the successors of Peter, and of being the fideles dispensatores mysteriorum Domini Nostri Jesu Christi in Spiritu Sancto. Amen.

Friday, September 30, 2016

Nemo dat quod non habet

You do not give, says the Latin adage, what you do not have. Catholic parents do not send their children to school in the hope that a few of them might be scholars. They don’t do this because they don’t appreciate scholars. It’s that simple.

To appreciate a scholar, you personally must have had experience in exploration in the realms of the mind; you must be thrilled by an idea which came so suddenly that it lit up everything around it. You must have stumbled unexpectedly upon a theory which gratifyingly answered many questions you had long carried around in your mind. Above all, you must have a deferential approach to books and you must have often, in Shakespeare’s phrase, “feasted on the dainties that are bred in a book.”

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The month of September has many many beautiful feasts! Sept 8: Mama Mary's birthday!, Sept 12: Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, Sept 14: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross!, Sept 15, (today): Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary :))

Here, some text to explain a little what this feast means to us and some prayers to encourage.

Deo gratias et Mariae!

Mater Dolorosa, Our Lady of QuitoThe picture of Our Lady of Quito, an image of Our Lady with the seven swords piercing her heart, was first placed in the boarding school of the Jesuit Fathers in Quito. On April 20, 1906, Father Andrew Roesch along with 36 boys of the academy witnessed the first miracle of this famous picture. While in the refectory they saw the Blessed Mother slowly open and shut her eyes. The same miracle occurred several times after this. The canonical process of examination was carried out by the ecclesiastical authorities, and the Vicar General ordered the picture to be transferred in procession from the College to the Church of the Jesuit Fathers in the downtown plaza, not far from the Conceptionist Convent. At the Church of the Jesuits, the prodigy was repeated many times, and many conversions took place. In Quito this image is known as the Mater Dolorosa del Colegio [Sorrowful Mother of the College].

On the 50th anniversary of the first miracle, His Holiness Pope Pius XII ordered the Canonical Coronation of the miraculous image of Our Sorrowful Mother, declaring her Queen of the Catholic Education in Ecuador.

Today is Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary . The Church twice commemorates the sorrows of its heavenly Mother. The Friday of Passion week, since the 15th century, has also been dedicated by the universal Church to Her Compassion. Why is this so? To understand this double liturgy, we must know that Mary is also the Mother of the Mystical Body.

In 1668 the feast in honor of the Seven Dolors was set for the Sunday after September 14, the Feast of the Holy Cross. The present feast was instituted by Pius VII after his return from his captivity and exile, which lasted from 1809 to 1814. The feast was inserted into the Roman calendar in 1814, and Pope Pius X fixed the permanent date of September 15 for the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The essence of the feast

“O all ye that pass by the way, attend and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow.” Abbot Gueranger says in the Liturgical year “The Savior to come is not only the reason of Mary’s existance, He is also her exemplar in all things. It is as his Mother that the Blessed Virgin came, and therefore as the ‘Mother of Sorrows’; for the God whose future birth was the very cause of her own birth, is to be in this world ‘a Man of sorrows and acquainted with infirmity.’” Christ is the reason for Mary’s birth and existence. Jesus and Mary suffered together for the whole world. Mary suffered so much from watching her Son suffer. All throughout Our Lord’s life swords were piercing the heart of His Mother, starting with the prophesy of Simeon all the way to His death and burial. A total of Seven swords were to pierce her motherly heart. Saint Bernard says “the sword would not have reached Jesus if it had not pierced Mary’s heart.” Mary’s sorrow is unlike any sorrow that anyone could ever know. And she suffered it all with her Son for souls, for us, that we may see the truth and be able to live happily with her and her Son forever in Heaven.

Christ no longer suffers, and for Our Lady also, all suffering as we understand it has ceased. Nonetheless, the prophet Jeremias in his Lamentations, asks: To whom shall You be compared, O Virgin? Your affliction is like the ocean. A mother who is happy in her home weeps just the same over the sorrows of her children. The statues and pictures of Mary all over Europe wept before the Revolution in France, and Her statues weep again today, in many places. The Passion of Christ continues in His elect, in particular in His Vicar on earth, from whom He does not separate Himself, and against whom the force of hell is deployed unceasingly. The mysterious compassion of the Mother is forever acquired for the Mystical Body of Her Son, which must reproduce the divine death in its human nature, elevated above its natural condition by the superhuman power of grace.

Mary's great sorrows began at the prediction of Simeon that a sword would transpierce Her heart. Soon afterwards, She was obliged to flee with the newborn Infant, already object of a fatal search. She lost Him in the temple for three inexpressibly painful days; She met Him on the road to Calvary, and the sight indeed pierced Her heart. She saw Him die, heard His final cry, and witnessed the opening of His side with the effusion of His last drops of blood, mingled with water; She received in Her arms the inert body of the most beautiful of the sons of men. Finally, She was obliged to depose Him in a tomb, leave Him there and return with Her adopted son, John, to a deicidal Jerusalem.

The Queen of Martyrs has never ceased to encourage Her children on earth to bear their own crosses, which complement the Passion of Christ. He suffered first the ordinary contradictions of life; for three years He was taunted and regarded as a menace by those who should have recognized Him and His mission. He knew hunger, cold and fatigue; He slept so heavily in a boat amid a tempest, that we can only suppose He was exhausted. He knew what it was to be abandoned in need and to lose, to the empire of various passions, followers He had called His. Christ is our forerunner in all human sorrows and difficulties. Mary, as His Mother, offered to God with Him all the afflictions of His earthly life, and She continues to offer those of the Church, for its sanctification, for the souls in Purgatory and the salvation of souls.

We propose book about Severn Sorrows of Our Lady: “At the foot of the Cross” by Fr. William Faber.

The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

I. The Prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:22-35):

1. When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

2. Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

3. He took Jesus up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word;

4. for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples.

5. And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him;

6. and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against"

7. (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."

II. The Flight into Egypt (Mt 2:13-21):

1. When the Magi had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream

2. He said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."

3. Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.

4. Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage.

5. He sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under.

6. But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.

7. "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

III. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Lk 2:41-50):

1. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom;

2. When the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.

3. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey,

4. They sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.

5. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

6. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."

7. He said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

IV. The Meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross (John 19:1; Luke 23:26-32):

1. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross.

2. And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.

3. And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him.

4. But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

5. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!'

6. For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

7. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull).

2. Nicodemus also, who had at first come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds' weight.

3. They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

4. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid.

5. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. And Joseph rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

6. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid.

7. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

The Promises:

According to the visions of St. Bridget of Sweden (1303–1373) our Blessed Mother promises to grant seven graces to those who honor her and draw near to her and her Son every day by meditating on her dolors (sorrows) and entering into her grief.

"I will grant peace to their families."

"They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries."

"I will console them in their pains and will accompany them in their work."

"I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls."

"I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives."

"I will visibly help them at the moment of their death — they will see the face of their mother."

"I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy."

Prayers in Honor of the Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Approved by Pope Pius VII in 1815

V. O God, come to my assistance

R. O Lord, make haste to help me

V. Glory be to the Father, etc.

R. As it was in the beginning, etc.

1. We grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the affliction of your tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by your heart so afflicted, obtain for us, and for all men, the virtue of humility and the gift of the Holy Fear of God. Hail Mary, full of grace... etc.

2. We grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anguish of your most affectionate heart during the flight into Egypt and your sorrowful journey there. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for us, and for all men, the virtue of generosity, especially toward the poor, and the gift of Piety. Hail Mary, etc.

3. We grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anxieties which tried your troubled heart at the loss of your dear Jesus. Dear Mother, by your heart so full of anguish, obtain for us, and for all men, the virtue of chastity and the gift of Knowledge. Hail Mary, etc.

4. We grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the consternation of your heart at meeting Jesus as He carried His Cross. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for us, and for all men, the virtue of patience and the gift of Fortitude. Hail Mary, etc.

5. We grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which your generous heart endured in standing near Jesus in His agony. Dear Mother, in your agony, obtain for us, and for all men, the virtue of temperance and the gift of Counsel. Hail Mary, etc.

6. We grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the wounding of your compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance before His Body was removed from the Cross. Dear Mother, by your heart thus transfixed, obtain for us, and for all men, the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of Understanding. Hail Mary, etc.

7. We grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, for the pangs that wrenched your most loving heart, at the burial of Jesus. Dear Mother, by your heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation, obtain for us, and for all men, the virtue of diligence and the gift of Wisdom. Hail Mary, etc.

Let us pray: Let intercession be made for us, we beseech You, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Your Mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother, whose most Holy Soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Your bitter Passion. Through You, O Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

List of (Trad) Catholic Publishers

Notes, Notices, Disclaimer

Please feel free to email me, should you need any clarification, should you be in want of a discussion,
or if there are any copyright issues regarding any of the topics/posts that I've blogged about.

My commentary about, or linking to, any website, weblog, journal, essays as well as quotes do not necessarily imply my endorsement, but are only to be understood as my limited approval of the material as and to the extent identified.

I am just a nothing, serious!, and I do make many mistakes! If you spot any wrong, mis-interpreted, mis-used etc. doctrinal issues or issues that are against the only one,true Faith, please email me so that I can make the necessary changes.

O yes and I welcome any comments, please place them on my comments section for each post - but they will be subjected to moderation, if need be.

The new tag-board's up and running as I see it, friends (long lost or not), tag away if you please.:) - also subject to moderation (in case of spam)

Links to where you can find the recommended books have just been put up. :)

And, if blogging does become sporadic in the new year in 07, its only because of the time factor.(but I'm still here :D) Time is eternity! Make full use of it! Do take good care everyone! Have a Blessed Year ahead!!!

EvolutionOUT! I must say. :)

God Bless!

In Christo et Mariae!

Rachel Anne Thérèse

Checklist/New Stuff

What is love? Pilate asked Quid est veritas? What is truth? The answer to that question lies in pondering what really love is. There’s an old saying that love makes the world go round. Yes it does I will say right from the start. It is the very essence of the human spirit. Divine love takes this love a notch higher. It uplifts the soul. When you find this love, you comprehend a little what truth is. I can’t explain what truth is but when you find out the truth, when you ask questions and you get the correct answers, you will find, in your heart, that Veritas liberabit vos (John 8:32). Yes, the truth will set you free. It is a kind of liberation, when the knowledge sets in and knowledge then will bring understanding, then the love comes in and unites everything. So love is always the end product.

...You must wonder why I'm suddenly blogging on such a topic - on making Decisions.
... As I was walking ... to the exam hall for my most recently over CA ... , and after saying the Angelus, it came to me that our lives are also based on the decisions that we make...

...“Behold the Lord, the Ruler is come; and a Kingdom is in his hand and power and dominion.”(Introit of Epiphany). His heart, as shown to St. Margaret Mary in her apparition, with the symbols of love (the flames and the cross), and the symbols of sorrow (the wound and the crown of thorns), tell us that Christ desires to rule over families and societies through love...

..."Indeed,” says St. Augustine, “Jesus is not a King who levies tribute, marshals mighty armies, or puts his enemies to the sword; He is a King who reigns in the hearts, who promises eternal goods, who will lead into the Kingdom of heaven all those who believe, who hope, who love.”...

...My King gave me His Heart ... My King gave me His Life ... My King gave me His All ... what more do I want? Nothing, except Him and Him alone! Fiat voluntas tua!

et cetera, et cetera, et cetera..(Deo volente)

=) God Bless!

EvolutionOUT series

...the point is just to present to you, the dear blog reader, with the facts, evidence etc. that I've read or am studying about or thinking about, from a variety of sources ... about the facts and scientific experiments and explanations that will show things against evolution, things that many of us lack the knowledge of. As Pope Pius XII said...

"God is a Lamb that avails yon not, my Christian,
If you become not also a lamb of God.
The cross on Golgotha redeems not from evil,
If it is not also erected in thee;
The dear Christ's death aids you not, my Christian,
Until in Him and for Him you also have died:"
- Angelus Silesius

Lex orandi, Lex credendi - The Law of Prayer, is the Law of Belief

If you wish to labor with fruit in the conversion of souls,
you must pour the balsam of sweetness upon the wine of your zeal,
that it may not be too fiery, but mild, soothing, patient, and full of compassion.
For the human soul is so constituted that by rigor it becomes harder,
but mildness completely softens it.
Besides, we ought to remember that Jesus Christ came to bless good intentions,
and if we leave them to His control,
little by little He will make them fruitful.
- Saint Francis de Sales

"For the word of God is living and effectual
and more piercing than any two edged sword and reaching unto
the division of the soul and the spirit, of the joints also and the marrow:
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Neither is there any creature invisible in his sight:
but all things are naked and open to his eyes, to whom our speech is.
Having therefore a great high priest that hath passed into the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God: let us hold fast our confession.
For we have not a high priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities:
but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.
Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace:
that we may obtain mercy and find grace in seasonable aid."
- Heb 4:12-16

In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in aeternum. - Psalm 30:2
In Thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be confounded.